Explosive mine.



A; suman.. t agresse.

EXPLOSIVE MINE.

APPLIUATIOH FILED IANA, 1910.

952,478; Panama Mar.22,191o.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EXPLOSIVE MINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

Application led January.3, 1910. Serial No. 535,988.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that We, ANDREAS JOSEF STno'rzKA and JOHANN BERGER, subjectsof the Austro-Hungarian Emperor, and resiA dents of Hainfeld, a. Glsen,Austria-Hungary, have invented Improvements in EX- plosive Mines, ofwhich specification.

The subject of the present invention relates to improvements in.explosive mines.

The essential features consist of a casing formed of a Mannesman `steeltube, a cylinder carried in the interior of said tube, and a layer ofcotton Wool which fills the space between the cylinder and the casing,`said cotton Wool bein saturated With a mixture Which consists o? fourparts of rain Water, one part of sulfuric acid and one part of nitricacid.

In order that this invention may clearly understood reference is insideto the accompanying drawing, wherein the mine is shown in sectionalelevation.

The outer casing 1 is made of a seamless steel tube formed into a nose aat one end. The casing is provided With a thread 2 on the inner surface,at the outer end, which serves to receive a steel ring 3 meshing withthe thread 2, and prevented from coming out o f the casing by beadingover the end f1 of said casing. The ring is threaded in the center, soas to receive an ebonite plug 5 which serves as an insulating medium'for the positive electrode 6 passing throu h said plug. `The electrodeis rmly secure to the cap 7a of a perforated metal cylinder which isclosed by a Wooden plug 8. The space formed by beading over the end ofthe casing is filled with red lead 9 and closed by a Wooden disk 10which is kept in position by a metal ring" 11 carried on the electrode6. The positive Wire 13 is secured to a nut or ring 12, carried on theelectrode 6. A contact pin 14 projects into the interior of the cylinder7, is protected by a short fiber casing in the space between thecylinder and the casing, and is .ke t in position by a spring 16 coiledaroun :the part of the pin between the casing 1 and the cylinder 7 Thecylinder is kept in position by pouring colophonium 1'( into the tubewhen in a vertical osition. The cylinder is surrounded lily pure cottonWool 22 which is the following is a..

saturated with :i mixture 0f 4 parts of ruin water, 1 part of sulfuricacid, and 1 part oi nitric acid, which is soaked up by the cotton wool.lVhile at the other end the cylinder is supported by wooden rings 18.The space between the rings 18 and the rin 3 is also filled in withcolophoniuin 2() which is poured in through the hole, iii the casing,which is closed by means of the screw 19. The second ivire 21 is securedto the screw 19. If the current be now turned on it will pass throughthc electrode G, the cylinder 7, cotionwool 22, casing 1, screw 19 andWire 21. The passage of the current through the saturated wool createsOxy-hydrogen gas and this develops until the pressure in the tube is sogreat that it begins to expand uiitil the end of the pin 14 is broughtso close to the cylinder T that a spark is formed, which ignites the gasand explodes the mine.

lVhile the gas is being generated the cotton is turned into gun cottonthereby making the mine still more powerful. The mixture is not capableof turning the cotton into nitrate, but with the continued generation ofthe gas, the nitration of the cellulose goes on, so that in the endcellulose-nitrate gun cotton is formed.

Before fitting in the cotton wool, the inside of the tube must bethoroughly cleaned and the outside given a coat of paint. The tube andcylinder are then suspendediii a platinum-bath and given a coat ofplatinum so as to protect them against the action of the acids.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is Improvements in explosive mines, coinprising incombination, a casing pointed at one end, a ring (3) carried in saidcasing, a plug passing through the ring, an electrode passing throughthe plug, a Wooden disk covering the end of said casing, a metal ringpressing against said disk,.a nut carried on said electrode, a currentWire se cured to the latter, a perforated cylinder carried in saidcasing, Wooden rings for keeping the cylinder in position, a plugclosing one end of the cylinder, a cap at the other end, said electrodebeing secured to said cap, a contact pin projecting into said tubel aspringl adapted to keep the pin in position, and a layerl of cotton Woolfilling set our handslin the presence of two subthe space between thecylinder and the casscribing witnesses.

ing said wool being saturated with a mixture consisting of 4 parts rainwater, l part STROTZKA' sulfuric acid and 1 part nitric acid,substantially as described and shown, and for the Witnesses: purpose setforth. MILTON M. BROOKE,

In testimony whereof We have hereunto AUGUST FUzzER.

